Comings and goings

10 September 2019 By Gina Chon Follow @GinaChon

Los Angeles’ trip info program for e-scooters and bikes is expanding to other towns. It manages congestion but also sparks privacy and hacking concerns. Contractors may also try to avoid a stricter California data law. Including ride hailing makes proper controls more critical.

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The Los Angeles Department of Transportation said it believes it has the legal authority to require scooter- and bike-sharing firms to provide trip data as part of the agency’s Mobility Data Specification program, it outlined in a letter to the city council on Aug. 15.

The department said it disagrees with the California Office of Legislative Counsel, which issued an opinion saying it believes the state’s Electronic Communications Privacy Act prohibits the city’s move. The counsel’s office said the law restricts a city or county department from requiring a business that rents shared mobility devices to provide real-time location data to receive an operating permit. It also said a department must obtain consent to gain access to an individual’s information.

About 70 cities, including Chicago and Austin, Texas, have adopted the Mobility Data Specification program, which was rolled out by Los Angeles in the spring of 2018.

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